In the United States, the prevalence of obesity has steadily increased over the last 50 years, and presently greater than two-thirds of adults and one-third of children, including adolescents, are overweight or obese. According to a recent review of more than 1000 studies, there is “sufficient evidence to link weight gain, overweight, and obesity with 13 cancers”. These cancers include “adenocarcinoma of the esophagus; cancers of the gastric cardia, colon and rectum, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, corpus uteri, ovary, kidney, and thyroid; postmenopausal female breast cancer; meningioma; and multiple myeloma.”(1) In the Nurses’ Health Study, “an 18-year follow-up of almost 93 000 women, a dose-response association of weight gain and obesity with several cancers” was revealed.(2)
“Youths who are obese are more likely to be obese as adults, compounding their risk for health consequences such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer.” Comprehensive weight loss strategies are required to achieve sustainable weight loss, and includes “significant lifestyle changes.” However, as noted by this study, “it is possible that many cancers related to overweight and obesity could be prevented, and physicians have an important responsibility in educating patients and supporting patients’ efforts to lead healthy lifestyles.” Tailored nutritional supplementation can be a part of supporting these efforts.
Massetti GM, Dietz WH, Richardson LC. Excessive Weight Gain, Obesity, and Cancer Opportunities for Clinical Intervention. JAMA. Published online October
03, 2017. doi:10.1001/jama.2017.15519
1. Lauby-Secretan B, Scoccianti C, Loomis D, Grosse Y, Bianchini F, Straif K; International Agency for Research on Cancer Handbook Working Group. Body
fatness and cancer—viewpoint of the IARC Working Group. N Engl J Med. 2016;375(8):794-798.
2. Zheng Y, Manson JE, Yuan C, et al. Associations of weight gain from early to middle adulthood with major health outcomes later in life. JAMA.
2017;318(3):255-269.